Ichabod - Episode 20

Ichabod sipped from the wine in his hand. He had tried calling Adam but the noise of the party was too much he could barely hear what Adam was saying. How in the world was he going to catch himself?

Different people graced the party, most of them were people he had seen their pictures with Harmony in the house. Talking of Harmony, she was standing with some other people as they took several group pictures.

He checked the time, it was some minutes to ten in the night. The time was long gone. He caught Harmony’s signaling to him to come over and he immediately went to her. She excused herself from the group and walked up to meet him, she looked worried.

“What is it?” He asked as he got close enough to be heard by her.

“I’ve been trying to call Michael, his lines are not going through. I’ve sent several messages to him as well, he didn’t pick. I am so worried. I tried calling Debby, Tracy’s teacher, she is not picking either.”

“Calm down. Does your daughter have a phone?”

“Of course not, she is barely six years old!”

“Ok sorry. Do you have anyone else you can call?”

She sighed. “I asked Vivian to get me some numbers and....” She stopped as her phone rang

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/ichabod

. “Oh thank God, It’s Debby. Hello...” She started, rushing out to pick her call while Ichabod followed.

She said something in a foreign language but with the look on her face showed that all was not well. Then she ended the call, clasping a hand to her mouth as if she was going to cry.

“What is it?”

“Michael never showed up. She said Tracey locked herself up in the bathroom. Oh my God! This is my fault! What am I going to do?”

Meanwhile, Vivian rushed towards them. She was so excited,  “Babe, the man from Netflix is here, this is great this is...”She stopped as she saw the look on Harmony’s face. “Are you okay?”

“Michael didn’t show up and Tracey locked herself up and no one could convince her to open and the program is starting in the next one hour...”

“Oh that bastard! He didn’t show up! What exactly is he good for?” Vivian shouted in anger.

“I will go to her school and talk to her. Let me do my job Harmony. Go back to your work.”

The two ladies starred at him.

“Are you sure Ichabod?”

He nodded, “yes, she will be fine. Trust me.” He said affirmatively.

“Let me go with you and...”

“If there is a need to come to pick you, I will come back. Go do your thing. Meanwhile, please tell the teacher that someone is coming.” He said, before walking away to get the car.

**

Ichabod brought the car to a halt and he stepped out of the car hurriedly. There were several cars parked alongside his, loud music was coming from somewhere and he saw people walking in two’s and three’s in their different costumes.  He followed where the majority of them were going and the music sounded closer.  Finally he ended up in front of a big hall. People were everywhere and there were children queuing up with different bowls in their hands each, shouting ‘trick or treat.’

“Oh my God. You are all so adorable!” A woman shouted and dropped some things into each bowl.

“The madness of this generation is alarming.” He said to himself as he walked past the children who were disappointed as he dropped nothing.

“Excuse me are you Miss Debby? He asked the first lady he saw when he got into the hall. The lady looked like someone in her early thirties, black skirt and a blue shirt. She frowned. “No, I’m not. I’m a parent, you should talk to one of the teachers. There is a tag in front of their shirts.” She said, pointing towards an angle of the hall where there were people standing with children dressed in different costumes. There was a drama going on the stage and everyone was paying attention.

“Okay, thank you.”

Ichabod hissed his way through the crowd in the hall and finally ended up at another side of the hall. He tapped the lady addressing a group of children.

“Excuse me, please, I’m trying to find Miss Debby.” He said to the lady who turned around and blushed all of a sudden.

“Hi, I guess you are Mr. Ichabod. We have been expecting you. Please come with me, we are all so freaked out and...”

“Miss Debby. Your students are next.” A man whom Ichabod didn’t notice behind him.

“Oh my God! It’s our turn. I’m sorry Mr .Ichabod. But I guess we will have to do without our beauty and the beast.” She said apologetically.

“Where is she?” Ichabod demanded as the lady arranged the children...

“Left turn, down straight, last door. I’m so sorry.” She said but Ichabod didn’t wait any longer...

**

The passageway was quiet but there were lights everywhere. There were six doors straight down so he walked to the last one. He listened attentively enough to pick the sound of Tracey’s sobs. He knocked.

“Tracey, it’s Ichabod, open.”

The sobbing stopped for a while but no reply.

“I am so sorry for what your father did honey. But....”

“He promised me Ichabod, Mum also thought that he was gonna come. Everyone will laugh at me again...” she sobbed.

“I hate my daddy too you know.”

She stopped sobbing, “why?”

“If you open up, I will tell you.”

For a while, there was no movement but the door opened eventually and her little face came out.

Read " Finding Solace " by the same author ( Tobi Loba )

. She was already dressed in a white ball gown, white shoes and in her hand was a magic wand and a tiara was on her head.

“Oh my God! You are such a beautiful angel....”

She smiled, “I’m a beauty, silly.”

Ichabod laughed and squatted to reach her height. “ This gown is too beautiful to be wasted for such a night.”

“But, I don’t have my beast...”

“Well, surprisingly, I have my beast...” Ichabod said with a smile.

“What are you talking about?” The girl asked with raised brows.

“Hold on, my beast can be a piece of work, let me ask him if he is willing to do this.”

Tracy chuckled. “Okay.”

Ichabod winked at her and then stood up, he walked further away from Tracey who laughed as he talked to himself.

“Odin, I need your help.”

Silence...

“Odin, I mean it, please, you need to help.”

Silence...

“Well, I can only assume that your silence means a yes.” He said, spotting a sharp pin lying on the floor. Quickly, he picked it up. Then he turned around, “come on, let’s go.”

“So what did your beast say?” Tracy asked excitedly.
“Oh, he’s sleeping, I will wake him up soon.” He said, putting the pin in his pocket, “a sharp pain will do the trick.”

**

They both stayed at the entrance as they watched those on the stage miming to the music-

Tale as old as time
True as it can be
Barely even friends
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly...

Miss Debby saw them from where she stood and quickly found her way to where they were standing.

“Oh my goodness! You are here!” She cried joyfully, kissing Tracy on the head. “You are so beautiful, you are coming next, so where is her beast?” Debby asked, turning to Ichabod.

“Oh, he is taking a nap right now, but I assure you, we gonna have a beast tonight. Just let me know when I need to come in.”

“I trust him for some reason.” Tracy said to her teacher excitedly.

“Okay then.”Debby said and then they waited for the next verse...

Just a little change
Small, to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared
Beauty and the beast

“No go dear....”Debby whispered to Tracy who waltzed towards the stage waving her wands while doing so...Ichabod held the pin in his hand and closed his eyes as he pressed the pointy sharp edge into his wrist....he shut his eyes as the lanced through him and a groan escaped his lips....when he opened the eyes, it was a shimmering red pair of eyes.

The crowd cheered as she came in, looking so cute in her fairy-like attire.....

“You should get your costume ready; you are going after the next stanza...” Debby said, turning to her side but Ichabod was nowhere to be found....

Odin straightened his neck which made a cracking noise as he did so....

“You idiot! Why did you have to wake me up now?”

“Oh my god! What is that?”

“It’s a Vampire...”

“It’s a werewolf.”

“Damn that costume is the best I’ve seen...”

“It looks so real oh my God! This is so cute!”

“I’m so scared...”

Someone shouted close to where Odin stood and then he realized he was at the center of the hall and everyone was taking their phones out to take his picture.

“What madness is this?” He groaned, holding his hand forward, attempting to snatch a phone and tear the owner into shreds but that minute, a soft little hand touched his skin and he looked behind him....it was Tracy and where the hell was she taking him to?

All eyes followed, including the camera lights as they both walked to the stage. Tracy couldn’t stop laughing...she took both hands into her little ones and guided him to dance along with her....

“Ichabod, I will kill you for sure! For making me do this!” He groaned in his head as he and Tracy turned at the same time...

Certain as the sun
Certain as the sun
Rising in the east
Tale as old as time
Song as old as rhyme
Beauty and the beast....

“Come on, enjoy it, It’s Dracula’s dance remember. Let’s just have fun tonight.  Later, we can continue our war but Tracy needs you right now....” Ichabod said back to him.

“Okay, I only agree to do this just for this little girl....just remember”  Odin replied, lifting Tracy up and throwing her into the air just to catch her so quickly with one hand and careful enough not to hurt her with his nails.  The crowd screamed and cheered, everyone stood up and the whole place roared with a thunderous clapping.....

**

DON"T YOU JUST LOVE ODIN?